Ahmedabad, Nov 29 : The second of the two-phase elections to local bodies in Gujarat passed off peacefully on Sunday with an estimated 55-57 percent of the total 2.6 crore voters casting their ballot, officials said.

According to State Election Commissioner Varesh Sinha, a staggering 20,000 candidates were in the fray for as many as 317 local bodies -- 31 district panchayats, 230 taluka (tehsil) panchayats and 56 nagar palikas (municipalities) -- in the largely rural and semi-urban regions of the state.

Gujarat High Court had said in a case that Quran "does not say that a Muslim can treat his wife cruelly" and marry again without legally dissolving his first marriage. It also added that some Muslim men misinterpret Quran "to have more than one wife for selfish reasons."

Justice JB Pardiwala, mentioned the above statement in his order on the petition filed by a Merchant Jafar Abbas, whose file has filed a case against him for marring another women.

Hardik Patel, who is leading Patel community's agitation for quota, has been booked under sedition charges by Gujarat Police for his alleged comments on October 3 instigating a community youth to kill policemen instead of committing suicide.